This Dangerous Social Media Mistake Could Ruin Your Cruise Before It Even Begins

There are different potentially dangerous mistakes people make when it comes to using social media. Many don't realize that what you choose to share via your social media handles can, in fact, spell trouble for you, and it can be one of the most embarrassing mistakes anyone can make on a cruise. Of course, when booking a dream cruise, it's natural to want to share your excitement with your friends. But posting details like your date of departure, cruise line, or itinerary could do you more harm than good. It can attract the attention of scammers or cybercriminals who can use such information to target unsuspecting travelers.

Scammers may send fraudulent emails or direct messages that appear to have come from the cruise company itself. They can achieve this by simply referencing specific ships, dates, or ports based on what a victim must have shared online. So it seems legitimate, and the victim is tricked into paying fake "port fees," confirming personal details, or supplying the booking reference numbers. With this data, it becomes easy for the fraudsters to log in to your reservation account, alter or cancel your booking, or even resell your cabin to unknowing buyers. All these go to show the importance of being careful about what kinds of details you reveal online — and when.

One very easy means for cyber crooks to get you is your boarding pass. Posting a picture of your boarding pass online is as good as saying, "Take all my details." This is because they usually contain barcodes that can be scanned to reveal sensitive details like your full name, booking number, and probably even your loyalty account number. All these can give the scammers an easy go at calling your cruise line, impersonating you, and requesting unimaginable changes to your reservation. One instance was that of a woman who lost about $15,000 to an anonymous person who canceled her reservation after her husband had posted her booking number on Facebook (per Royal Caribbean Blog).

Now you might think there's no problem as long as you don't post your boarding pass. But, hey, even posting an ordinary itinerary photo can come with risks too, especially if you reveal your exact port of origin or the date of your trip. A simple knowledge of these may be enough for a fraudulent person to craft a targeted phishing email with convincing details that match your real trip. You may have already paid an unreal "fee" before later realizing it's a scam. Moreover, things can quickly switch from cyber to physical, revealing publicly that you'll be away from home also puts you at risk of burglary, as some criminals are out there like hawks waiting to see vacation announcements.

One essential thing you can do to save yourself from scams when you go cruising is to limit what you post before and during your trip. Consider this as part of the unspoken cruise etiquette rules you shouldn't joke with. You should avoid revealing your departure date, cabin number, boarding pass, or specific port schedules. And if you ever want to share photos in real time, stay away from backgrounds that can give away sensitive details regarding your location. Any sort of clue — like port signs, landmarks, bulletin boards — never take photos around them. Keep your photos generic, probably just pure sunset shots and ocean views for instance.

It may equally help to consider tweaking your social media privacy settings and making your posts visible to trusted friends alone. But then, beware of the fact that friends may screenshot or accidentally share your content. So keeping sensitive details offline might just be your ultimate way out. And if you're on a group trip, it's good to have a common "no-sensitive-posts" understanding so no one would unintentionally compromise your safety. 

Lastly, be cautious whenever you receive messages, emails, or calls requesting payment or personal details, even when they convincingly seem to be from your cruise line. Do not click just any link you see; instead, contact your cruise company through their official customer service numbers, social media handles, or website.